CLASS VISIT ACTIVITY Guide

Guide CLASS VISIT

ACTIVITY

MIDDLE SCHOOL

parking garage

bus loading

6th street

GROUND FLOOR

race street

changing exhibit gallery

freedom rising

kimmel freedom theater classroom

liberty classroom

elevators to parking

garage

information

outside seating area b

ox offi

ce

annenberg

annenberg center for

lobby

education & outreach

coat room

stairs to second floor

museum store grand hall

lobby

main entrance

5th street

delegates restaurant

stars and stripes lunchroom kids store

lower level

front lawn

arch street

main entrance

box office

restrooms

stairs

elevators

information

dining

WELCOME TEACHERS

WELCOME LETTER

Dear Teacher,

Welcome to the National Constitution Center and thank you for planning a visit with your students. We are the first and only museum in United States devoted to the teaching of the Constitution. During your tour of over 100 interactive exhibits, your class will be introduced to the Constitution of the United States, its role in history, and its impact on our everyday lives. This Activity Guide is designed to orient you to the National Constitution Center, its mission, programs, and exhibits, as well as provide engaging activities for your students. This guide has been developed to help you teach in our museum, which is our way of encouraging you to visit here, engage your students, challenge them, and model for them learning beyond the classroom walls.

The National Constitution Center promotes the teaching of civic education through active citizenship. We believe civic education is much more than knowing who the president is and how federalism works; it is participating in our democracy. At the National Constitution Center, we see educating students for citizenship as a framework that includes teaching public action, democratic deliberation and civic knowledge. Teaching public action encourages students to participate in and improve their communities. Democratic deliberation teaches students that in a democracy there are many different points of view, and that free expression should always be supported by examining other ideas. Civic knowledge ensures that each student understands the history of our nation and how the government works. Using this framework, these lessons are designed to increase your students' understanding and encourage them to be active citizens in our nation.

We would like to invite you to come to the National Constitution Center prior to your class trip in order to better plan your students' time here. Complimentary teacher tickets are available by bringing this guide with you and presenting it at the box office prior to your class trip.

Enjoy your visit, Education and Exhibits Team

This class visit activity guide was created through the combined efforts of the National Constitution Center's Department of Education and Exhibits, under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Frank, Vice-President. Contributors included: Eli Lesser, Kerry Sautner, Amy Chernekoff, Anne Spector, Sarah Winski, Lauren Cristella, Donna Jackson, and Andrew McGinley.

All sections of this guide were reviewed by members of the National Constitution Center's 2006-2007 Educator Advisory Committee: Andrew Kuhn, Cheltenham High School, Cheltenham, PA Marc Brasof, Constitution High School, Philadelphia, PA Carl Ackerman, Constitution High School, Philadelphia, PA Elizabeth Soslau, Grover Washington Middle School, Philadelphia, PA Jenn Wong, Gideon Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA Alison Van Wyk Wanaselja, Independence Charter School, Philadelphia, PA Donna Sharer, University of Pennsylvania Adicia Cohen-Johnson, Elkins Park Middle School, Cheltenham, PA

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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This guide has been designed to be just that: A guide. How you choose to implement it with your students is up to you. We have provided suggestions and approaches to teaching active citizenship before, during, and after your visit to the National Constitution Center. We understand that our activities will look different in each classroom, and we encourage you to use them at the museum and in the classroom in a manner that works best for you.

Our main goal is to help students to discover not only how the Constitution defines our government, but also their role within it. Introducing students to their rights and responsibilities within the Constitution will help start them on the path to active citizenship.

Prior to your visit we suggest you begin with the Pre-Visit Activity (p. 7) which is designed to be completed within one class period. The National Constitution Center is very different from other museums, so we believe that preparing students for a different experience will help them learn more during their time here.

of the included Constitutional Field Journals (pgs. 12-13), students engage directly with the entire National Constitution Center exhibit space.

If you would like to teach directly in the museum we have provided a Constitution Discussion Trail (p. 15); it can be done in addition to the On-Site Activity, or on its own. The Constitution Discussion Trail is designed for a teacher or chaperone leading a small group through the exhibit space. Again, the goal is to start a conversation, so there are strategic stopping points throughout the exhibit marked on the included map. There are questions listed for each stop which we hope will spark varying viewpoints among your students.

For use after your visit, and when you return to the classroom, we have provided a Post-Visit Activity (p. 9) designed to provide an opportunity for reflection by your students about what they discovered during their visit to the National Constitution Center. Again, it is designed to be completed in one class period. Included are options for formal assessment of the complete experience.

We have designed two different activities that can be completed by your students during their visit. The On-Site Activity (p. 8) is a student self-guided activity designed to help your students be fully engaged from the time they enter the Freedom Rising show until they stand side by side with the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Signers' Hall. Using photocopies

In the Appendix of the Activity Guide you will find a Glossary (p. 18) of terms with which students may be unfamiliar, and the National Standards for Civics and Government (p. 19). We hope these materials will further enhance the activities they follow, and the ways in which you can use the National Constitution Center in your classroom.

The Story of We the People, Permanent Exhibit in DeVos Exhibit Hall

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

2 How to Use the Class Visit Activity Guide

4 The Story of the National Constitution Center

6 Activity Overview

7 Pre-Visit Activity

8 On-Site Activity

9 Post-Visit Activity

15 Discussion Trail

18 Appendix

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Glossary

19

National Standards for Civics and Government

20

Membership

Signers' Hall

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